Stay with me
by yellow.dandelion.spring
Summary: One-shot. Two years later after Dimitri tells Rose his love has faded, she copes the only way she knows how—becoming a badass strigoi hunter by night. What happens when fate intervienes and puts Dimitri in Rose's path again... Read to find out more muahahaha!
1. Chapter 1

MisfitsBelieveInSherlockHolmes :)

Sorry it took me a while, but I was having too much fun writing this and I wanted it to be perfect or as perfect as I could get it. Enjoy.

Stay with me

I

It was the same nightmare, over and over again…

 _I've given up on you…Love fades. Mine has._

It was amusing how nightmares conveyed different things for people. Mine was those four sad words from the man I loved so much. That was exact reason I was beginning to hate sleep; I hated seeing those same haunted eyes looking at me with so much pity. I didn't want his pity, I wanted his anger in seeing that I'd made it without him. I was living and I hadn't died that fateful day he replied those words.

After dragging my half-human ass for out of bed—no pun intended—I decided I should at least try to eat something before getting ready for work. If you could call ridding the world of evil, a job. Which I did, so I took my uniform from the hanger in my pathetic excuse of a closet and made it five steps into the kitchen. As I took a bowl from the cupboard, I looked at the calendar.

Two years, today… out of all the days to have dreams about him, it had to be on the anniversary when my whole world crashed and burned. Go figure.

Just as I heard my next door neighbor yell something to her cat, I decided I would try going on a date with a normal guy. A human guy, one that was nice and would present no danger to my feelings but rather take them and wrap them up in saran wrap. But first, I would finish my last job. Then I would be saying goodbye Las Vegas, and hello small town were men-who-didn't-break-your-heart lived.

*.*.*.*

I looked at the reflection in the rearview mirror, the image it showed me was one I'd worked so hard to maintain and updated every day with the help of my trustee wigs. I rocked what I called my uniform, a red halter top dress that ended at the appropriate length to cover up the fact I'd strapped two daggers on both of my thighs. I needed for everyone to focus on my image and not notice the fact that I was armed to the teeth.

Parking the little capsule I called my ride, I took off my coat and made sure that everything was in its place. Knifes where I needed them. Boobs where they were needed to be, thanks to my push up bra. I was ready.

I wasn't much of a believer but I asked any saint or deity that didn't frown upon half-vampire women slaying creatures of evil, to help me live through another night. _I'd been on my own too long…_

I put a spring to my step in my ridiculously priced steel heels, and made it to the strip were most of the night clubs were. Nothing like a night in Las Vegas.

I made my way to the most exclusive nightclub, where I knew Octavian Miran would definitely be at. He would be my last target before I retired and he was definitely the one that deserved to die the most.

At the entrance, the bouncer looked at me for less than two seconds before pulling back the rope for me and letting me pass. Making the rest of the people in line grumble. Hey, I didn't spend so much time making me deadly to wait in line. A girl had to do, what she had to do to save innocent people.

Upon entering the luxurious space, I wondered what it would be to be hit the club with my friends, long before everything turned to shit. Would Dimitri have enjoyed dancing as closely as the other couples were? Or would he sit silently watching over us, while Lissa and I enjoyed ourselves?

 _Keep it together for now… we'll break later._ Reaching the bar, I asked the bartender for a drink— cranberry juice and vodka. Fitting.

When he handed me the drink, I turned around scoped the place out. There on the sunken dance floor people gyrated around each other, enjoying the sexy rhythm of Latin music. It wasn't until I stopped looking longingly at the other patrons, that I noticed where Octavian was. The douchebag was in one of those private balconies reserved for the highest paying customers. From there they could they think of themselves above everyone else, _Jesus_ , why did these guys always have the same stereotype. It was getting boring, honestly.

I looked up at a girl with beautiful braided hair kissing Octavian. Shit! I couldn't make a move if I couldn't get close, and I couldn't get close if he already had a target. I would have to pull out the big guns.

Luckily, for me, the DJ chose to put on one of my favorite songs, by Nicki Jam and J Balvin. It had the perfect beat and paired with my dress, it was almost if the universe was telling me _you can do it_!

So I moved my hips, letting the beat guide me. When the song was halfway through I felt, a slight shove as the same girl that was kissing Octavian was now giving me the stink eye, along with her group of friends. Thankfully, I was still wearing my nazar. If she only knew that I saved her ass from becoming another case on the police's long list of unresolved cases.

I shook it off and turned around to find that Octavian was now looking at me, winking. Did douchebags like him think _that_ worked for them? Sadly, they did. I would need to shower after this was through. _Yuck!_

As the last pieces of the song blended into a new one, I made my way back to the seat I was occupying trying to catch the bartenders attention for a new drink, while waiting for my prey to catch the bait. If my estimations were correct he would be approaching before I had my drink, just to appear cool and in control.

When the handsome bartender turned around, I made a signal for another drink. He quickly prepared it and handed it over to me, just as I took out some money from my purse, the douchebag proved me right handing his premium credit card to the bartender.

"I'll pay for the lady's drink." Octavian said, trying to make his voice seem huskier. I threw up a little.

Avoiding a shudder, I passed the bartender the exact price of my drink. One would think that it if I was trying to lure this idiot, I would accept his drink. But it didn't work that way, since he was used to having his way it would only make him want to chase after me if I declined.

"Thank you. But I don't accept drinks from strangers… Even handsome ones." I said trying to keep my breakfast down.

The idiot saw that as an opportunity to sit down next to me and order himself a whiskey. Neat. "You don't come here often do you?"

Taking a drink of the sweet beverage, I shrugged. "I don't go out much. I work a lot."

"So what made you come out tonight?"

"I don't know, I guess I thought I could find something fun to do instead of staring at my computer for the rest of the night."

Octavian smirked. "Thank goodness for that, I would've hated for you stay holed up in your office when I could be here making you less lonely."

I wanted to say that I wasn't lonely, but honestly I was. For that comment alone I would make sure he suffered.

"Well, I guess it's my lucky night." I smiled at him. Hoping that he was too busy staring at my cleavage rather than noticing the disdain in my voice.

*.*.*.*

A few drinks later, Octavian was well into the tipsy and handsy territory as we moved together on the dance floor. Just a few more minutes, before I decided I needed to go home and that would be the last time anyone saw this asshole. No one would miss him. While I kept on repeating that in my head, the universe had a funny way of lifting its middle finger in salute, because when I looked over at the entrance, I saw a certain blonde's head as well as the man that haunted my dreams. My friends.

 _Fuck._

I needed to go.

So many questions danced around my head, how did they know I was here? Was did coincidental or where they looking for me? I seriously needed to split, target or not I couldn't put them in danger. After all these years, I still put their safety above mine, some things never changed.

I turned around to face Octavian, leaning over to yell in his ear. "I have to go to the lady's room. Wait for me!"

"Don't take too long," he said in an overly seductive voice, cementing my choice to walk away.

With a nod, I made my way from the dance floor and tried to pass the people that I used to call friends. It was a very good choice that I'd picked a short blond wig to wear tonight or else they would've spotted me.

While I passed their table, I heard their laughs and had to stop myself from crying. _Keep it together for now… we'll break later._ I repeated my mantra.

Finding the restrooms, I looked for the backdoor entrance. Just as I closed the door behind me, I felt a tear escape. I dabbed my eyes and I made my way down the dark alley, hoping that my car was still waiting for me where I left it.

"The restrooms are inside, baby." Yeah, the universe was on my case today.

When I turned around, I found that the tipsy and clumsy behavior from Octavian was all an act. I should've known…

"I can see that. I was trying to get some fresh air." I said trying to not have shit blow up near them. "Would you like to come with me?"

"I don't think you need to go anywhere, you're too far from me for my liking." He said as he lifted himself from the wall he was leaning over, making his way toward me. Shit, I could see how he never got caught, he always attacked in the dark. Luckily, I wasn't a little kid anymore and I wasn't scared of it. I lived in it.

"Am I? What are you going to do about it?" I dropped my hand to the side, as I held onto the dagger I had strapped on my thigh.

"I am going to see if you'll bleed as prettily, as I think you will." He said as he caged me into wall. He moved lightning fast as he attempted to bite into my neck, but not as quickly as I shoved my arm between us raising the dagger to cut into his throat.

"FUCK!" He roared, and then he lunged at me again, but this time I didn't time things correctly as he grabbed onto my wig and twisted, taking some of my own hair out in the process. _Oh hell no_ , I didn't need a bald spot!

Octavian took my hair as a leverage to push me up against the wall, hard. This was supposed to be easy, if I only hadn't lost my concentration.

"Do you think you can do this to me, little skank? Do you even know who I am and what I can and _will_ do to you?" He said breathing his words close to my face. "I could've made you invincible and now I'll make you regret ever walking out of your pathetic little routine."

I wheezed when he punched me in the ribs, a move I could've tried to prevent, but I needed to let him get cocky so I could make my move. Just as he was about to deliver another blow to my stomach, I grabbed my dainty clutch and flicked the little latch that retrieved a hidden stake.

I prepared myself to stab him right in the center of his chest as he noticed the sharp object and laughed. "I should've known it would take only someone as stupid, as a dhampir to attempt something like this."

He plucked the stake from my hand and threw it away from me. Shit, would I go down like this? I would die a few meters form the people I loved. Which was a stupid way to die.

Just as Octavian loomed over me, ready to end my life, the back door opened revealing a silhouette I knew too well. _Dimitri_.

I was too shocked to do anything but stare at him, waiting for him to recognize my bruised self. His face didn't show any recognition but still he lunged into action becoming the badass instructor I'd fallen in love with. He was saving my ass and instead of being thankful, it just seriously pissed me off.

Grabbing my heel—seeing as Octavian had his back to me—I disengaged the dainty little heel from the rest of my shoe and stabbed him from the back, while Dimitri's eyes went wide with shock as the rest of my tangled wig fell from my head. But not before doing the same with his stake from the front.

As Octavian crumpled between us, the door opened once more revealing another person from my past. Adrian.

"Dimitri, what are you doing back here?" He smirked, a cigarette between his fingers. "I was going to smoke this before Sidney finds out I haven't quit."

Dimitri and I continued to stare at each other, and I hated myself for still feeling that same pull that always kept us in sync. It was too bad, it faded…

I smiled caustically. "It's a bad habit, Ivashkov, you should really listen to Sydney and quit."

When I turned around, I felt Dimitri's gaze at the back of my dress. It was why I had chosen it.

"What the…" Adrian said, lost for words. A first for him.

"You're not drunk, it's me," I said. "I'm a little worse for wear, but it's me."

"Little Dhampir, wait here! Lissa will never believe me."

"It's nice to see you but, I have to go." I said removing my other shoe, leaving me barefoot on the gravel.

"You're not going anywhere." Dimitri's angry voice, surprised me. "You're coming with us and you'll explain why you almost got killed by a strigoi."

I turned on him. "What makes you think I have _any_ explanations to give to you?!" I snarled. "You are the least person I would ever give them to." _Fuck him._

Sure I didn't want to die by the hands of a strigoi, but seeing him after all this time hurt more. Deciding to ignore his requests all together, I retrieved the stake Octavian had tossed from me and made my way out of the dark alley. I needed to get to my apartment and lick my wounds in private.

As I made it around the nightclub were I'd parked my tiny vehicle, I heard her voice.

"Don't you dare walk away!" Lissa yelled.

How much more could I take? "Not right now, Lissa." I said, leaning over my car. My friends were staring at me as if I'd lost my mind, seeing me with a broken lip, my hair and dress rumpled from getting tossed around. I didn't have to read minds to know what word came up in their heads when they looked at me. Blood whore.

"When will it be a good time for you, Rose? Huh? When it's too late and we find you dead on the streets?!" She yelled as she came closer to me. I wanted to ask her what were they doing in Las Vegas, but instead I decided I'd had enough action for one night and that I hated having them look at me with pity.

"You know what I'll take a good look at my agenda and let you know. Maybe I'll squeeze you in between one of my clients. If you excuse me." I answered her, digging into my cleavage for the keys of my car. Real classy.

I closed the door of and didn't even bother putting on my seatbelt as I hauled ass out of there. Of all the days I managed to survive without them, it had to be on the last night I stayed in Las Vegas that I met them.

Karma was definitely a bitch.


	2. Chapter 2

Stay with me

II

The bruises were doing a perfect job of making me forget about the pain of seeing them.

"This is the last night I'm spending here." I said to myself as I did the buttons on my pajama. Tomorrow everything would hurt more and I hoped I would wake up and not remember anything.

Putting a glass of water on my nightstand, I let myself dwell on the fact that Dimitri looked healthy. That was good, wasn't it? Not really, because I secretly hoped he felt as hollow as I did. What a wonderful and healthy relationship we had…

Just as I put the covers over me, the doorbell rang. My heart beat faster, it was way too late for my neighbor Doris to be looking for me…

I grabbed the pink Taser my old man had given me in the rare case something like this would happen and I walked into the living room quietly.

 _I can do this!_ I said to myself, giving me the strength to open the door. I expected a strigoi or Lissa, but I never expected Dimitri would be the one sent after me. It was kind of funny seeing him standing there casually, while I pointed at him with the pink object.

I rolled my eyes, putting the Taser down on the bowl I kept my keys. "I would ask you how you found me but that'd be a waste of time since you probably followed me. What I do want to know, is how you got roped into coming for me?"

I walked into the kitchen reaching for a glass, making myself busy before I launched myself into his arms. Sadly, he had other ideas as he closed the door behind him and got real close and personal.

"Is that what you think, that I'm here against my will?" he said as he sat down on a stool in my kitchen.

"I think you got the shorter end of the deal and had to come here, yes. Maybe not against your will, but to make your conscience feel better." I said as I placed a glass of water in front of him. Even though I wanted him to leave immediately, I still had manners.

"You can call me anything you'd like, if it makes you feel any better." He leaned over the counter. "I deserve everything you say and think of me."

"That's kind of you. So if I curse you to hell and back, will you leave me alone to enjoy the rest of my night? I really am pooped."

He cracked a smile. NO! How dare smile at me, and make me remember how much I'd adored stealing those from him.

"You know what, I decided against wanting to rip you a new one. I don't care. I want you to leave." I pushed him off my counter and tried to drag him away from the kitchen when he turned on me. Caging me up against the wall. What was it with the walls, lately?

"I know deserve everything you say to me, but I'm done." He said looking down at my face with sincere regret. "I fucked up, Roza. I've made make many mistakes and have many regrets when it comes to us—"

"Mostly everything, I guess." I said bitterly.

"NEVER. I don't regret us. Ever. So don't you ever let those words come out of your mouth again or else I'll find it in myself to give you a good spanking." He said as he cradled my face in his hands. _What the.._. "What I meant was that if there's one thing I regret, was telling you that I didn't love you. How could I stop loving you when you're the reason I am alive?"

"You're a good liar." I felt my voice crack.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Roza. I don't know if I'll ever be able to live with myself for what I've done but I am such a selfish bastard that I can't let you walk away from me again."

He crashed his lips to mine and showed me how much he missed me. His lips seeking forgiveness in my mine. For a moment, I let myself enjoy the happiness I felt when he kissed me. That he was alive, that I was alive. Before I tore my lips from his and slapped him on the cheek.

"That was for making me suffer," I said as I watched him rub his cheek. "And this is because I must be a freaking masochist, to love someone with such high morals enough to push me away."

I reached for the lapels of his duster and brought him close to me again, kissing that beautiful mouth of his. When I felt like I could no longer hold my weight he seemed to understand, as he reached under my knees and wrapped my legs over his hips.

"Bedroom?" he asked between kisses.

"It's only one room," I said as kicked the door open.

Dimitri laughed against my neck. "Always impatient, besides I was making sure you didn't have a roommate."

I flicked him on the head. "Two years, I haven't seen you. Can you blame me?"

"No, I am barely keeping it together as is." He set me down on the bed removing his duster and his shirt. It was amazing how after all this time I could still feel the same butterflies in my stomach at the thought of seeing him without it.

When I moved to reach for my own, he froze in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Let me see," he said as he leaned down to pull my shirt over my stomach.

I cracked a smile. "Dimitri, I'm too old to get tickled."

When he didn't answer, I looked down to see at what he was looking at. My bruises.

Yikes, they looked worse than they felt to be honest but from his perspective I could understand the concern from his gaze.

"Do they hurt?" he said as his fingers briefly touched them, making me feel ticklish.

"Only a little," I answered him while I touched the silky hair that hung around his face. "But I'm fine."

He looked over me, with sad eyes. "You're not. And it's okay because I'm not either."

"Then I guess were a match made in heaven," I said as I pulled him to my lips.

It wasn't until the wee hours of the night, that I understood exactly how much he'd really missed me.

*.*.*.*

"Don't worry she's fine. She's sound asleep right now. I'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere before you speak to her… Believe me, I won't let her leave us ever again. See you later." Dimitri whispered.

I didn't need to be a scientist to figure out who he was talking to. I sighed, this was about to get awkward. I put on my robe and walked out into the living room where Dimitri was sitting down, fully dressed with his head in between his hands.

"Morning, comrade." I said as I made my way towards the fridge. "Do you want breakfast before you go?"

The smile he had on his lips vanished. "Not a chance in hell I'll be leaving soon. I thought you'd understood, Rose."

"Yes, I understood that we still have chemistry and it worked itself like out like it always did." I lied. "Don't feel like you have to keep your side of whatever promise you made to Lissa, I won't hold you to anything you said. Tell everyone I'm okay, as much as I can ever be, and that you tried to bring me back but I escaped."

"You know I'm not a person that gets angry often, but I'm way past livid that you'd think I'd sleep with you just because of a promise. Don't cheap us out. I would never make love to you without it meaning anything!" He yelled as he grabbed me by the arm. "I fucking adore you, I may have a shitty way of trying to explain it to you, but get it straight. I. LOVE. YOU!"

"So what are we going to do now?" I asked. "Are you going to let me love you and not hold back, just because of things you've done things in the past? Will you let me help you heal? Because if that's not what you're offering, you can go back from where you came from. I'm not going back."

"Well if you don't want to go back home, it's a shame because everyone misses you like crazy. But that's okay we'll figure out where to go from here, together."

"You'd never leave Lissa alone. You're excellent at your job," I replied, trying not to get my hopes up. "Just because I don't want to go back doesn't mean that you shouldn't."

"You stubborn, stubborn girl." He said as held me close. "I can't be without you, I've tried and it's been hell on earth. From what you've said and from what I can see hasn't been a walk in the park for you either, so why don't we worry about us first. And the rest will fall into place later."

I shook my head. "What happened to the old Dimitri? What happened to our obligations?"

"He died, I'm afraid. But this new Dimitri is trying his best to live and if that implies throwing our obligations out the window, then so be it."

I laughed. "You have an answer for everything, I'd forgotten how irritating you can be."

"As long as you stay with me, I'll give you as many answers you want and need."

I stared into his eyes and sighed. "I can't let you go, comrade. I don't want to live without you. Besides, if I continue on my own I would have to look into getting a cat and you know how well I'm with animals, he'd probably eat me."

Dimitri laughed and for moment I felt like everything was right in the world again.

*.*.*.*

One year later…

"After all this time, you still haven't told me the truth," I said as I laid down the forks on the table. "How did you find me?"

Dimitri smiled, as he put down the salad next to the spaghetti bowl. "It was Adrian's crazy idea. He'd thought it'd be a bright idea take Lissa to her first nightclub experience, and it had to be the flashiest and luxurious place in Las Vegas."

I nodded. "Yeah, Sydney has helped but I think that crazy nature is still lurking inside him."

"So he insisted we go there since the music and the drinks were the best in town and thankfully we did, because if we hadn't—"

"If you hadn't, we wouldn't have been able to see each other again." I looked away, thinking what I would've done if they hadn't shown up. I could've died.

"No, it would've taken me a little longer getting your father to tell me where you were, but I would've still found you. And I would've told you the same thing I tell you every day, that I love you and that I can't live without you." He said as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.

"I'm not going to be able to keep my food down if you two keep that up," said a voice coming from the entrance of our house. The small house we'd bought in a small town.

We turned around to find Adrian with baby Declan strapped to his chest and Sydney, looking at us.

"You're in our house, Ivashkov." Dimitri said. "Hello Sydney, hi little fellow."

"Excuse me, but we have a baby now and we're trying to keep things pg-baby." Adrian replied.

"Don't listen to him," Sydney laughed, taking Declan from Adrian. "He's becoming a dad, and that has seriously affected his brain. The worst are the jokes."

Adrian looked offended. "You said you loved my jokes."

Dimitri and I laughed. "Why don't you sit down, we're just waiting for the rest."

"If they make it," I said, thinking of Lissa's tight schedule.

"Lissa and Christian were just behind us," Sydney replied.

"We're here!" said my very blonde best friend bursting through the door. While poor Christian carried the million bags she travelled with.

I rushed to hug her. After deciding not to go back to court, it had been very tough on her, but after some time she understood that I had to find the path that made me the happiest. And that was spending my life in a small house far into the woods with Dimitri. "Hey there your majesty. I've missed you like crazy."

She hugged me tighter. "Me too, you have no idea how much. But it's good to get some time off being queen and just being Lissa, and to be honest your house is the perfect place for that."

"Well we're glad everyone could make it," Dimitri said. "Why don't we have some food before it gets cold, then we can give you a tour of the place."

While everyone ate their food enjoying the chatter and the company of my dearest and closest friends, I thanked the deity that didn't frown upon half-vampire women slaying creatures of evil, for everything I'd been given that fateful night.

The end.


End file.
